The idea caught on like wildfire. Everyone wanted this chamber music.
THE HUSBAND-AND-WIFE DUO of pianist Alicia Schachter-Rich and music and film producer Sheldon Rich were visiting Santa Fe from New York City when they got the idea to create an international chamber music festival in the high-desert city famously nicknamed The City Different, with which they’d become enchanted.
“That led, as we hoped, to a grant. There was a groundswell of enthusiasm. Directors of the [Santa Fe Opera] gave us a lot of advice and suggestions. The local St. John’s College promised to lend us chairs and pianos. Georgia O’Keeffe, who has become one of the festival’s best friends, let us use her art for posters. In 1973, our first year, we gave six concerts.”
Those six concerts were held in St. Francis Auditorium, the official home of the Festival’s concerts, and there were additional performances in other New Mexico and Arizona communities. The Festival grew steadily every year, and, in 1984, Rich told The Christian Science Monitor: “The idea caught on like wildfire. Everyone wanted this chamber music.’’
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, two things about the Festival were clear: It would feature the highest-quality artistry, and it would be an integral part of the local community.
In its first program book, the Festival paid homage to two extraordinary but very different artists: cellist Pablo Casals (1876–1973), whom Schachter-Rich had studied chamber music with in Switzerland, and painter Georgia O’Keeffe (1887–1986), who was one of New Mexico’s most famous residents. The program book opened by noting that Casals, who was also a composer and conductor, was the Festival’s honorary president. In a mission statement of sorts, the Festival said:
The Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, inspired by the example of Maestro Casals, is designed to serve the people of New Mexico.
It is an affirmation of Maestro Casals’ belief that music is an international language that can be understood by all people and a heritage that belongs to all people.
In dedicating the Inaugural Concert to Maestro Casals, we remind ourselves of our commitment to those ideals that he has served throughout his life—peace and brotherhood—and to follow the example of a man who, in the words of Thomas Mann, “is one of those artists who comes to the rescue of humanity’s honor.”
Georgia O’Keeffe, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Poster Collection, 1973 – 1992
With regard to O’Keeffe, the Festival acknowledged the striking image that adorned that first program book, writing: “Miss Georgia O’Keeffe, in allowing reproduction of her painting Music—Pink and Blue No. 1 [1918] on the cover of the announcement brochure and this program, has added great beauty to the Festival. We gratefully acknowledge Georgia O’Keeffe’s generous contribution.”
Georgia O’Keefe

In 1988, Sheldon Rich and Alicia Schachter-Rich received the New Mexico Governor’s Award for founding and directing the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival.

Conductor and violist Heiichiro Ohyama, who had performed at the Festival during the 1970s and 1980s, succeeded Schachter-Rich as Artistic Director in 1991. He led the organization for six seasons, while simultaneously running the La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest. As he ended his tenure in Santa Fe in 1997, The New York Times called the Festival a “phenomenon in the high desert.”
THE BAR FOR EXCELLENCE
…it had been made abundantly clear, was set very high for the Festival from day one, and that bar has remained in its elevated position–exceeding the founders’ initial expectations in new and exciting ways.

Composer and pianist Marc Neikrug, who has served as SFCMF’s Artistic Director since 1998, said, “The Festival is exemplary in its insistence on presenting concerts of the highest artistic quality and programming that is uncompromising in its exploration of iconic masterpieces as well as neglected works from the past and a substantial presentation of the music of our time. Santa Fe is a cultural and spiritual mecca unequaled in our country, and that’s mirrored in the experiences that the Festival provides.
“The Festival has one of the most sophisticated audiences anywhere in the world. The musicians that come—and they’re global, they’re superstars— all remark about this audience. And I want to find a way where the audience is always comfortable having something they’re familiar with and, at the same time, open to the expanse of what this music is.”
Coming Events
THE 2025 FESTIVAL GALA
THE 2025 FESTIVAL GALA
2025 Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival Gala! Mark your calendars for a whimsical night of music and magic at the stunning Bishop’s Lodge in Santa Fe.
SHEPHERD ON THE ROCK
SHEPHERD ON THE ROCK
SCHUBERT, ENESCU, SHOSTAKOVICH, Performed by Liv Redpath, soprano; George Fu, Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Leila Josefowicz, Yura Lee, violin; Paul Watkins, cello; Todd Levy, clarinet
BAM!! Insights on the Brain & Music 1 of 3
BAM!! Insights on the Brain & Music 1 of 3
BAM!! ONE How Music Captivates: The Science with ELIZABETH H. MARGULIS, PhD, Professor of Music; Director of Graduate Studies (Musicology), Princeton University
SHEPHERD ON THE ROCK
SHEPHERD ON THE ROCK
SCHUBERT, ENESCU, SHOSTAKOVICH, Performed by Liv Redpath, soprano; George Fu, Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Leila Josefowicz, Yura Lee, violin; Paul Watkins, cello; Todd Levy, clarinet
RAVEL & SHEPHERD
RAVEL & SHEPHERD
SEAN SHEPHERD, RACHMANINOFF, RAVEL, Performed by Ran Dank, piano; Leila Josefowicz, violin; Paul Watkins, cello
REDPATH & FU RECITAL
REDPATH & FU RECITAL
WOLF, SCHUBERT, STRAUSS, GRIEG, DEBUSSY, Performed by Liv Redpath, soprano; George Fu, piano
BEETHOVEN & MENDELSSOHN
BEETHOVEN & MENDELSSOHN
BEETHOVEN, SCHUBERT, MENDELSSHOHN, Performed by Ran Dank, Gilles Vonsattel, piano; Yura Lee, violin; Mark Kosower, Paul Watkins, cello; Robert Ingliss, oboe; Todd Levy, clarinet; Julia Harguindey, bassoon; Gabriel Kovach, horn
GILLES VONSATTEL PIANO RECITAL
GILLES VONSATTEL PIANO RECITAL
BEETHOVEN PIANO SONATAS, Performed by Gilles Vonsattel
SCHUBERT & KORNGOLD
SCHUBERT & KORNGOLD
SCHUBERT WORKS & KORNGOLD, Performed by Juho Pohjonen, piano; Paul Huang, Ida Kavafian, violin; Yura Lee, violin/viola; Toby Appel, viola; Nicholas Canellakis, Mark Kosower, cello
SCHUBERT & KORNGOLD
SCHUBERT & KORNGOLD
SCHUBERT WORKS & KORNGOLD, Performed by Juho Pohjonen, piano; Paul Huang, Ida Kavafian, violin; Yura Lee, violin/viola; Toby Appel, viola; Nicholas Canellakis, Mark Kosower, cello
JUHO POHJONEN PIANO RECITAL
JUHO POHJONEN PIANO RECITAL
Piano Works by LINJAMA, LISZT, BEETHOVEN, MESSIAEN, Performed by Juho Pohjonen, piano
EMILY POGORELC & JULIUS DRAKE RECITAL
EMILY POGORELC & JULIUS DRAKE RECITAL
MAHLER, KORNGOLD, WOLF, BRITTEN, Songs, Performed by Emily Pogorelc, soprano; Julius Drake, piano
DVOŘÁK DUMKY TRIO
DVOŘÁK DUMKY TRIO
PIATTI, BEETHOVEN, DVOŘÁK, Performed by Juho Pohjonen, Orion Weiss, piano; Paul Huang, violin; Nicholas Canellakis, Mark Kosower, cello
PAUL HUANG & ORION WEISS RECITAL
PAUL HUANG & ORION WEISS RECITAL
MOZART, ARVO PÄRT, PROKOFIEV, Performed by Paul Huang, violin, Orion Weiss, piano
ORION WEISS PLAYS THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS
ORION WEISS PLAYS THE GOLDBERG VARIATIONS
BACH Aria with 30 Variations (Goldberg Variations), BWV 988, Performed by Orion Weiss, piano
MOZART & SCHUMANN
MOZART & SCHUMANN
MOZART, SHOSTAKOVICH, SCHUMANN, Performed by Julius Drake, Orion Weiss, piano; Calidore String Quartet; Robert Ingliss, oboe; Todd Levy, clarinet; Julia Harguindey, bassoon; Gabriel Kovach, horn
MOZART & SCHUMANN
MOZART & SCHUMANN
MOZART, SHOSTAKOVICH, SCHUMANN, Performed by Julius Drake, Orion Weiss, piano; Calidore String Quartet; Robert Ingliss, oboe; Todd Levy, clarinet; Julia Harguindey, bassoon; Gabriel Kovach, horn
CALIDORE STRING QUARTET
CALIDORE STRING QUARTET
HAYDN, CAROLINE SHAW, KORNGOLD, Performed by The Calidore String Quartet
ERIKA BAIKOFF & JULIUS DRAKE RECITAL
ERIKA BAIKOFF & JULIUS DRAKE RECITAL
SCHUBERT, LISZT, TCHAIKOVSKY, Songs Performed by Erika Baikoff, soprano; Julius Drake, piano
BRIDGE & MENDELSSOHN
BRIDGE & MENDELSSOHN
BEETHOVEN, BRIDGE, MENDELSSOHN, Performed by Orion Weiss, piano; Jennifer Frautschi, Ida Kavafian, Benny Kim, violin; Toby Appel, Scott Lee, viola; Felix Fan, Keith Robinson, cello; Robert Ingliss, Kevin Vigneau, oboe; Julia DeRosa, English horn
MIAMI STRING QUARTET
MIAMI STRING QUARTET
HAYDN, SCHULHOFF, Performed by the Miami String Quartet
NEW MUSIC WITH THE JACK QUARTET
NEW MUSIC WITH THE JACK QUARTET
WORLD PREMIERE WORKS, Performed by the JACK String Quartet
RENAISSANCE MUSIC WITH THE JACK QUARTET
RENAISSANCE MUSIC WITH THE JACK QUARTET
CHRISTOPHER OTTO, RODERICUS, SOLAGE, NATHANIEL GILES, Performed by the JACK Quartet
BARTÓK & BEETHOVEN
BARTÓK & BEETHOVEN
BEETHOVEN, BARTÓK, BRAHMS, Performed by Shai Wosner, piano; Jennifer Frautschi, violin; Miami String Quartet (Benny Kim, Cathy Meng Robinson, violin; Scott Lee, viola; Keith Robinson, cello); David Shifrin, clarinet
BAM!! Insights on the Brain & Music 2 of 3
BAM!! Insights on the Brain & Music 2 of 3
BAM!! TWO Music, Memory, & the Aging Brain with DR. CONCETTA M. TOMAINO, DA, LCAT, MT-BC Executive Director/Co-Founder, Institute for Music and Neurologic Function
BARTÓK & BEETHOVEN
BARTÓK & BEETHOVEN
BEETHOVEN, BARTÓK, BRAHMS, Performed by Shai Wosner, piano; Jennifer Frautschi, violin; Miami String Quartet (Benny Kim, Cathy Meng Robinson, violin; Scott Lee, viola; Keith Robinson, cello); David Shifrin, clarinet
SHAI WOSNER PIANO RECITAL
SHAI WOSNER PIANO RECITAL
BACH, BEETHOVEN, GEORGE BENJAMIN, HAYDN, Performed by Shai Wosner, piano
ESCHER STRING QUARTET
ESCHER STRING QUARTET
MENDELSSOHN, JULIAN ANDERSON, DVOŘÁK, Performed by the Escher String Quartet
MOZART & DOHNÁNYI
MOZART & DOHNÁNYI
MOZART, SCHUMANN, DOHNÁNYI, Performed by Soyeon Kate Lee, piano; Jennifer Frautschi, Daniel Phillips, violin; Toby Appel, Ida Kavafian, viola; Eric Kim, cello; David Shifrin, clarinet; Stefan Dohr, horn
COLIN CURRIE PERCUSSION RECITAL
COLIN CURRIE PERCUSSION RECITAL
PERCUSSION WORKS: VOLANS, HOWARD, AKIHO, HOSOKAWA, WALLIN, Performed by Colin Currie, percussion
BACH & BIBER
BACH & BIBER
PLATTI, BACH, TELEMANN, BIBER, Performed by Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord; Daniel Phillips, violin; Felix Fan, cello; Tara Helen O’Connor, flute, Frank Rosenwein, oboe
LIGETI & ENESCU
LIGETI & ENESCU
BARTÓK, LIGETI, ENESCU, Performed by Kirill Gerstein, Soyeon Kate Lee, piano; William Hagen, Chad Hoopes, Ida Kavafian, violin; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; Eric Kim, cello; Escher String Quartet (Adam Barnett-Hart, Brendan Speltz, violin; Pierre Lapointe, viola;...
BAM!! Insights on the Brain & Music 3 of 3
BAM!! Insights on the Brain & Music 3 of 3
BAM!! THREE Music & Child Brain Development with ASSAL HABIBI, Ph.D. Associate Research Professor of Psychology, Brain and Creativity Institute, USC
BRAHMS HORN TRIO
BRAHMS HORN TRIO
REICH, DOHNÁNYI, WALEY-COHEN, BRAHMS, Performed by Kirill Gerstein, piano; Martin Beaver, William Hagen, violin; Milena Pajaro-van de Stadt, viola; Eric Kim, cello; Stefan Dohr, horn; Colin Currie, Daniel Druckman, Doug Perkins, Gregory Zuber, percussion
CHAD HOOPES & KATIA SKANAVI RECITAL
CHAD HOOPES & KATIA SKANAVI RECITAL
BRAHMS, BEETHOVEN SONATAS, Performed by Chad Hoopes, violin; Katia Skanavi, piano
KIRILL GERSTEIN PIANO RECITAL
KIRILL GERSTEIN PIANO RECITAL
SCHUMANN, GYÖRGY KURTÁG, RACHMANINOFF, GRAINGER, FRANCISCO COLL, RAVEL Performed by Kirill Gerstein, piano
MARC NEIKRUG’S THROUGH ROSES
MARC NEIKRUG’S THROUGH ROSES
MARC NEIKRUG’S THROUGH ROSES Performed by John Rubinstein, actor/director; Marc Neikrug, conductor; Martin Beaver, violin; Steven Tenenbom, viola; Felix Fan, cello; Tara Helen O’Connor, flute; Frank Rosenwein, oboe; Carol McGonnell, clarinet; Colin Currie, percussio...
DOVER QUARTET
DOVER QUARTET
SCHUMANN, DVOŘÁK QUARTETS performed by the Dover Quartet
INDIAN MARKET CONCERT
INDIAN MARKET CONCERT
Roberto Capocchi was born in Brazil, where he studied classical guitar with Henrique Pinto and Brazilian jazz with Conrado Paulino.
BACH DOUBLE VIOLIN CONCERTO
BACH DOUBLE VIOLIN CONCERTO
BOCCHERINI, BACH, Performed by Chad Hoopes, Bryan Lee, Joel Link (violin), Camden Shaw (cello), soloists; Paolo Bordignon, harpsichord; Daniel Jordan, Carla Ecker, Kathleen Brauer, Ashley Vandiver, Marlena Chow Morgan, Philip Payton, violin; Margaret Dyer Harris, viola;...
MOZART & BRAHMS
MOZART & BRAHMS
VILLA-LOBOS, MOZART, BRAHMS, Performed by Kirill Gerstein, piano; William Hagen, Bryan Lee, Joel Link, violin; Toby Appel, Julianne Lee, Steven Tenenbom, viola; Felix Fan, Eric Kim, Camden Shaw, cello; Bart Feller, flute
BEETHOVEN & DVOŘÁK
BEETHOVEN & DVOŘÁK
BEETHOVEN, DVOŘÁK Performed by Katia Skanavi, piano; William Hagen, Ida Kavafian, Bryan Lee, violin; Toby Appel, Julianne Lee, Steven Tenenbom, viola; Eric Kim, Camden Shaw, cello